The clinics will be offered to people aged 58-75 who have ever smoked or who have COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). If you are in this group you should receive a clinic invite letter around September/October, after which you should book an appointment as soon as possible.

At your appointment you will see a specialist lung nurse who will ask about your general health and also some questions about your lungs and breathing. S/he may also check your breathing using Spirometry (a tube you blow in). With your permission s/he will also offer to assess your risk of lung cancer using a Lung Risk Score. If you decide to have the Lung Risk Score, you may be offered a chest CT scan at a local hospital.

We now know that if we pick up lung problems including lung cancers at a very early stage we can treat them with the latest and most effective treatments. Sometimes we can cure them. Liverpool has led the way in trying to improve our citizens’ health and this programme is part of it.

This is a great opportunity to improve your lung health and we do hope to see you in the clinic.

Test Results

On average please allow 5 working days for your test results to come back from the hospital unless your doctor has advised otherwise.

Please note that X-ray results take a little longer, usually 7 working days.

We now operate an SMS service for test results we will send you a message when your test results are available

If you need to call about your test results please try to ring at less busy times after 13:00. Sometimes, we cannot always give full results over the phone. If the result is complicated, or if the doctor wants to see you about the result, we will offer you an appointment.

We will only give results to the patient concerned unless under the age of consent

Blood Tests

A blood test is when a sample of blood is taken for testing in a laboratory. Blood tests have a wide range of uses and are one of the most common types of medical test. For example, a blood test can be used to:

assess your general state of health

confirm the presence of a bacterial or viral infection

see how well certain organs, such as the liver and kidneys, are functioning

A blood test usually involves the phlebotomist taking a blood sample from a blood vessel in your arm. and the usual place for a sample is the inside of the elbow or wrist, where the veins are relatively close to the surface. Blood samples from children are most commonly taken from the back of the hand. The child's hand will be anaesthetised (numbed) with a special cream before the sample is taken.

You can find out more about blood tests, their purpose and the way they are performed on the NHS Choices website.

X-Ray

An X-ray is a widely used diagnostic test to examine the inside of the body. X-rays are a very effective way of detecting problems with bones, such as fractures. They can also often identify problems with soft tissue, such as pneumonia or breast cancer.

If you have a X-ray, you will be asked to lie on a table or stand against a surface so that the part of your body being X-rayed is between the X-ray tube and the photographic plate.

An X-ray is usually carried out by a radiographer, a healthcare professional who specialises in using imaging technology, such as X-rays and ultrasound scanners.

You can find out more about x-ray tests, how they are performed, their function and the risks by visiting the NHS Choices website.